Four years ago, Cole Kirkland stepped on the baseball field in Tellico hoping to find something to fill his time.
A couple of years later he found himself getting more serious about the sport.
Two more years pass and Kirkland has found a future in the sport — continuing his education and athletic career with Roane State Community College.
“When I started my high school career I was not really thinking about college at all. I was just playing because I like baseball,” Kirkland said. “I did not have much success with it until I found pitching. Once I started pitching my junior year, I found a new passion for it.
“Once I started having fun with it and I decided to make playing at the next level my main goal.”
Over the last four years, Kirkland made strides in his game — specifically on the mound. The growth started coming out of his freshman year when he asked his coaches if he could get time in on the mound.
“I say that is perseverance. He came in his freshman year not really playing much and not knowing what he is going to do with his baseball future,” Tellico Plains assistant coach Lucas Pilkey said. “It is just a true test of perseverance, going from nothing to then you are right there in the mix and getting recruited.”
“That means a lot to us and to Cole.”
Kirkland’s growth is also a credit to his time with pitching coach Aaron Small — a former big-leaguer with time in Toronto, Florida, Oakland, Arizona, Atlanta and the New York Yankees.
Small had a career 170 strikeouts. Former Bears coach Heath Ware set up the connection.
“I have 100% trust in that guy and I know everything he is telling me to do is the right way to do it,” Kirkland said. “He was not telling me there was a cookie-cutter way. He took my style and added to it. I could trust everything the guy was saying and as long as I kept doing it I knew I was getting better.
“He got me to a completely different point to where I could actually play. I saw I could do it and thought this is what I want to do.”
Kirkland’s connection with Roane State started with his summer coach Garrett Dalton, who doubles as an assistant coach with Roane State.
Months after the end of the summer season, Dalton reached out to Kirkland asking about his interest in playing with the Raiders.
“Hard work and dedication. Cole is the definition of a hard worker. If you would have seen him going from his junior year to senior year … Roane State is getting a hard worker,” Pilkey said. “They are getting a leader, a good player and they are also getting someone who is going to be good for their program.”
The 6-foot-6 Kirkland has made himself dangerous with a fastball and changeup pairing while working to add a 12-6 curve and sweeper curve to his game.
“I remember him coming to us his sophomore year and he said he wanted to pitch,” Pilkey said. “He was just up there throwing, but hearing the catcher’s mit go ‘Pop, pop, pop” we thought ‘Okay, we can work with this.’”
Kirkland tossed 33 innings as a junior, striking out 31 batters and holding a 4.88 ERA before seeing limited innings as a senior.
“It is definitely a brotherhood — win or lose. I would do anything for them, I know they would do anything for me. That was a really good place to be in,” Kirkland added. “And I would not be anywhere without my coaches’ support. They gave me the opportunity to pitch for the first time — they saw something in me and that made me believe in myself.
“Without my coaches’ support and my brothers on the team, I would not be where I am today.”
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